How an Industry Insider Built a Recruiting Agency From Scratch (No Fancy Tools)
He wasn’t a lifelong recruiter.
He didn’t have a tech stack, automation, or AI hacks.
Yet he built a profitable recruiting agency anyway — by doing what most recruiters avoid.
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Why This Episode Matters
Most recruiters believe they need better tools, better scripts, or the latest AI to win.
This episode proves that belief is holding you back.
If you’ve ever wondered whether your industry background, relationships, and phone skills are enough to build a real recruiting business — this conversation will change how you see your potential.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
• The exact mindset shift that helped an industry professional outperform career recruiters
• Why old-school phone calls still beat automation for business development
• How to use NPCs (Named Potential Candidates) to win clients before roles even open
• The hidden mistake new agency owners make when they try to scale too fast
• How saving $1.5M in agency fees shaped him into a stronger founder
• Why most recruiters fail when leaving industry — and how to avoid it
• How to build a niche so strong clients trust you before the first call
About the Guest
Chance Wood is the founder of One Degree Agriculture, a recruiting firm built entirely on industry expertise, relationships, and execution. After transitioning from agency recruiting to in-house TA — where he saved his company over $1.5M — Chance launched his own firm and quickly surpassed six figures without relying on “fancy tools.”
Why You Should Watch This
Imagine building a recruiting business where clients trust you because you’ve lived their world.
Where business development feels natural instead of forced.
Where your background becomes your unfair advantage.
This episode is a blueprint for recruiters who want freedom, simplicity, and leverage — without chasing every new tool or trend.
▶️ Watch Now
If you want to grow your desk or agency using relationships, clarity, and execution — hit play.
This is one of those episodes that changes how you approach recruiting.
⏱️ Chapters / Timestamps
00:01 – Why industry professionals underestimate their recruiting power
05:30 – What a “grain elevator” is & why lived experience matters
09:45 – The recruiter experience that shaped Chance’s philosophy
12:20 – Landing revenue in 18 days as a brand-new recruiter
19:30 – Why going in-house made him a better founder
22:00 – Saving $1.5M by running TA like an agency
27:00 – The moment he knew it was time to go solo
29:45 – What he did in his first week as a founder
34:00 – Why NPCs beat job orders for BD
36:30 – His exact “one-two punch” outreach approach
40:00 – Why AI won’t save weak business development
44:00 – The biggest scaling mistake he made
49:00 – Advice for industry professionals considering recruiting
52:00 – The family conversation every founder must get right
🎯 Summit + Community
2026 Sales & BD Recruiter Summit
👉 https://bd-sales-recruiter-2026.heysummit.com/
Elite Recruiter Community
All summits, replays, Billers Club + split opportunities
👉 https://elite-recruiters.circle.so/checkout/elite-recruiter-community
🔗 Tools & Links
🔹 Pin → https://www.pin.com/
🔹 Join the Email List → https://eliterecruiterpodcast.beehiiv.com/subscribe
👤 Chance Wood → https://www.linkedin.com/in/chancetywood/
🎙 Host Benjamin Mena → http://www.selectsourcesolutions.com/
🔗 LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminmena/
